Closing the Loop: Forming Recycled Carbon-Fibre Thermoplastic Composites into High-Performance Lightweight Structures
Abstract
Carbon-fibre composites enable lightweight, low-carbon vehicles, yet virgin fibre is energy-intensive and growing volumes of off-cuts and end-of-life parts are downcycled or landfilled. This project will develop an energy-efficient stamp-forming route that upgrades recycled carbon-fibre thermoplastic composites into structural components, forming recycled cores with continuous-fibre or metal skins in a single shot.
You will combine forming experiments, characterisation, microstructural analysis and process simulation to understand how recycled fibre architectures deform and consolidate, and establish design rules balancing performance, manufacturability and sustainability, building on the group's patented one-shot hybrid forming technology and industrial partners across the composites and automotive supply chain.
How to Apply
Please contact Dr Nan Li if you are interested in applying for this project.
For more information on submitting a PhD application, please consult our application pages here. When you submit your application, please cite this project title in the 'how you are planning to fund your PhD' section.
The deadline for submitting your application is 11 January 2027.